English

English Course Pathways

Grade 11s!

All grade 11 English Courses are Indigenous Focused.

This is a change across the TDSB.

The Grade 11 College Option is: NBE3C
The Grade 11 University Option is: NBE3U

See a sample NBE3C Course Outline Here

See a sample NBE3U Course Outline Here

See student work samples from the NBE Course in the TDSB publication OK, KO, OK

NBE Students Engaging with the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Floor Map December 2024

New as of 2023/2024:

There is no longer an applied/academic course split in grade 9 English.

All grade 9 English classes are coded as: EWL1W

This is a change across the TDSB.

See a sample course outline here

Optional English Courses:

This course emphasizes knowledge and skills related to the craft of writing. Students will analyse models of effective writing; use a workshop approach to produce a range of works; identify and use techniques required for specialized forms of writing; and identify effective ways to improve the quality of their writing. They will also complete a major paper as part of a creative or analytical independent study project and investigate opportunities for publication and for writing careers. Prerequisite: English, Grade 11, University Preparation

Please note: Not Offered in 2026

OLC4O: Ontario Secondary School Litearcy Course

This course is designed to help students acquire and demonstrate the cross-curricular literacy skills that are evaluated by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students who complete the course successfully will meet the provincial literacy requirement for graduation. Students will read a variety of informational, narrative, and graphic texts and will produce a variety of forms of writing, including summaries, information paragraphs, opinion pieces, and news reports. Students will also maintain and manage a portfolio containing a record of their reading experiences and samples of their writing. Eligibility requirement: Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice and who have been unsuccessful at least once are eligible to take the course. (Students who have already met the literacy requirement for graduation may be eligible to take the course under special circumstances, at the discretion of the principal.)

Please note: Not currently offered

English Courses at Vanier: Highlights

See some of our student writers, featured in our own publication from 2024: Our Lived Stories

Copy of tolerance.pdf

Enrichment- Speakers, Workshops, Field Trips!

Writing Groups

We have TWO Poets in Residence at Vanier!

Greg Birkett who runs a Slam Poetry group and Black Affinity Space. One of Greg Birkett's ORIGINAL plays will be performed by our Black Collective Student Union in February!

Patrick de Belen, who runs a creative writing group open to all. Patrick will be a keynote speaker at this year's Asian Heritage Month.

Award Winning Author Lawrence Hill!

On Wednesday November 25th Learning became something truly extraordinary for the students of Georges Vanier Secondary School and Westview Centennial School. Sixty students had the honour of a personal presentation and Question and Answer session with award winning author and Member of the Order of Canada, Lawrence Hill. Students spoke to Mr. Hill about his work, anti racist activism, and questions of identity and equity. The group of students spanned schools, grades, and pathways, as students attending were composed of English classes and students who applied to attend the session by expressing why they were interested in Mr. Hill’s activism. Three senior Georges Vanier Students, Aiyshah Kirmani, Arub Shabbir and Aly Ezzelrab hosted and moderated the event and did their school and the TDSB proud. This was the second time this year Lawrence Hill has done a session with Georges Vanier Secondary School. In Quad 1 he attended a gathering of 30 grade 12 English Vanier students. He has since mentored two of George Vanier’s aspiring writers, and continues to inspire our students and staff with his work. He now qualifies as an official Vanier team member in our eyes, as he also did a special shout out to our Graduates in the Spring of 2020 when we told him how much they were sacrificing due to the COVID shut down. Mr. Hill is truly a champion of students. It has been an incredible partnership to all involved and these are opportunities we are so honoured to have had. Thank you to Mr. Lawrence Hill and to all who have participated and made these events possible!

YA Author Nora Decter

Nora Decter Reading and Author Lunch

On Thursday November 15 Vanier was proud to host Young Adult author Nora Decter for the launch of her novel How Far We Go And How Fast. Vanier students attended a reading and Question and Answer Session. Afterwards 7 lucky Vanier writers received a catered lunch with Nora where they got to talk about writing, publishing and creativity. We all had an amazing experience!

Nora also did a book signing November 30th at Fairview Library as part of a Vanier Learning Hub & Toronto Public Library partnership. Vanier students introduced Nora and led an amazing discussion on writing and YA literature.

Singer Song Writer Lindy Vopnfjord

Lindy Vopnfjord has worked with our English courses on two occasions, discussing his song writing process, performing, and working with students in small groups on their own compositions.

Poet Phoebe Wang

Pheobe Wang from Poetry in Voice came to our Learning Hub in November 2018 to share some of her work, her writing process, and allow students to start creating their own poems.

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